With hints of Zodiac and Seven, Fabrice du Welz’s new thriller Maldoror — charting the real-life murders of Belgian serial killer Marc Dutroux — aims for that nasty, slow burn.
Maldoror Brings Fincher Energy to a Horrific Moment in Belgian History
Venice
The last of the “big three” European film festivals of the year, Venice marks the gliterring kickstart of the Oscar season.
Familia Provides a Nuanced Portrayal of Cyclical Bonehead Violence
Fascist bonehead study Familia refreshingly avoids clichéd redemption arcs in favour of a more nuanced take on the cyclical nature of toxic masculinity.
The Imhumane Perils of a Quiet Life
The dehumanisation of seeking asylum is piercingly explored in Alexandros Avranas’ horror-but-not-horror Quiet Life. Live from Venice Film Festival!
Vermin Has Spiders The Size of Buicks
Vermin is one of the downright nastiest yet compelling creature-features made in recent years, a true standout of the Venice Film Festival.
Paradise is Burning. Exquisite Teenage Yearning.
The careers of three excellent actresses are launched in Mika Gustafson’s sensitive ode to the travails and beauty of youth — live from Venice Film Festival.
For Night Will Come. The Vampire Genre (Partially) Undone.
The perils of being a vampire in a regular-old world are subtly investigated in For Night Will Come — beating away clichés before eventually succumbing to them.
The Dreamer. Bittersweet Truth Through Sculpture.
Sculpture unlocks the essence of a man in Anaïs Tellenne’s tender, enigmatic debut The Dreamer — live from Venice Film Festival.
Behind The Mountains. Dull Magic Thriller-isms
Behind the Mountains mixes thriller themes with the supernatural genre, to mixed, often underwhelming effect — live from Venice Film Festival.
The Outpost. A Frustrating Study in Folly.
One man’s quixotic dream to host a Pink Floyd concert in the Amazon rainforest is frustratingly explored in The Outpost — live from Venice Film Festival.
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person Lives Up To Its Goofy Title
The practicalities and pitfalls of vampire life are warmly investigated in the mostly enjoyable Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person.